 "Lionel Messi makes magical start to Inter Miami career with late winner; watch video")
Lionel Messi made a dream start to his life in the US, scoring a last-minute winner in his debut game for Inter Miami on Friday. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, with the Leagues Cup match against Mexican club Cruz Azul standing at 1-1, Messi won a free-kick just outside the box. It was in perfect range for his famous left-footed strikes everyone had seen over the year. The seven-times Ballon d’Or winner took a look at the position of Cruz Azul goalkeeper Andres Gudino, then put his head down, paced himself before curling his shot to the keeper’s right and into the top corner.
The capacity 20,000 crowd at Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium went wild, with some fans running on to the field before being apprehended by security. Smoke bombs in Miami’s trademark pink went off behind the goal. Inter Miami and Major League Soccer (MLS) hope that the arrival of the Argentine World Cup winner and one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, will transform the sport and push it into the American mainstream. If Messi’s debut was any suggestion, the former Barcelona star still has plenty to offer.
Even before his magical goal, he looked sharp and alert, his touch belying the fact that until a little over a week ago, he was on vacation in the Caribbean. Messi and Sergio Busquets, the Spanish midfielder and former Barca teammate, entered the contest in the 54th minute as part of a triple change. Busquets and Messi continued to display great chemistry on the field with passes but it was the Argentine’s magical finish that will remain long in the memories of Inter Miami fans.
“I knew I had to score, it was the last play of the game. I wanted to score so we didn’t go to penalties. It was very important for us to get this win, it’s a new tournament, it’s going to give us confidence moving forward,” said the Argentine. In the Leagues Cup group teams are awarded a point each for a draw and then the winner of a penalty shoot-out gets an additional point, but Messi made sure Miami grabbed all three for a win.
He also made sure that the club’s co-owner David Beckham had a broad grin at the final whistle. “To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick given I thought this is the way it’s meant to end. Especially when you’ve got players like Leo and Sergio on the pitch, that’s what they produce,” said the former England midfielder. “It’s so exciting tonight for our fans. All of these people that come down here to see Leo just step onto the pitch, let alone just do what he’s done. It’s a dream come true for everyone in this stadium to see. “It’s such a moment for this country, such a moment for this league,” he said. (with inputs from AFP)